THE STOLEN BILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER

CHAPTER SEVEN

My mother had been letting me use her car more often but it also meant that I didn’t get to see her a lot of the times. According to Leon, she was spending time with his father at their house. I didn’t think that was what she was doing, I thought she was putting more time in this tutoring service she was about to start.

“How many times have you seen her in your place?” I asked Leon trying to see whether or not he was joking.

He shrugged, “I don’t keep track of her, but it has been quite a number of times.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not so I’ll just talk to her about it next time I see her.” I replied, “and this should be the last time I see you.”

He looked at me with a confused expression, “what do you mean?”

I chuckled, “I meant our end of year exams are around the corner and soon we’d be getting our diploma. You wouldn’t need tutoring anymore.” I replied.

“But it doesn’t have to be the last time we see each other.” He said, “besides, with things getting serious with our parents you might just end up moving to our place.”

“Maybe my mom would but why would I want to do that?” I asked, “I’d be going to college, I would probably see less of her, with her new business venture.”

“You mean the new job?” Leon asked.

“How do you know about that?” I asked.

“Because it was my idea to offer it to her in the first place. With you going to college, I thought your mom could do with a change of scenery.” He said it in a nonchalant manner.

I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to decide what he thought was best for my mother but since she seemed to be happy about it. I was beginning to think that maybe I didn’t know my mother that well.

“Have you decided where you’d be going for college?” I asked Leon.

“I wanted a university with a good football program so I settled for University of Southern California. I even got a recruiter from there to look at my application.” He explained, “you, let me guess, University of California where Leo is?”

I smiled, “I applied there and also University of Southern California. It’s more pocket friendly in my case to go to University of California.” I replied. But I hadn’t gotten a text back from Leo in like a week, I was worried and I decided to do a little stalking on social media and he was posting on i********: and Snapchat. He was fine he was just choosing not to reply to my texts.

I was beginning to wonder whether I did something wrong and that’s why he wasn’t responding.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Leon asked as he place his warm hand on top of mine.

I gave him a stiff smile, “it’s just…” I sighed, “Leo hasn’t been responding to my texts ever since I invited him to come to the prom with me and I’m starting to think he realized I was too young for him.”

“Technically speaking, you are younger than him. He’s like twenty-one and you’re just seventeen, but it’s not your fault. He’s just the i***t who doesn’t want to come to the prom with a beautiful, intelligent lady like you. I could come with you, if you want?” He offered.

“You would?” I asked surprised.

He chuckled, “are you kidding me? I would be honoured.”

I sighed, “I don’t want to inconvenience you, I’m sure you have better things to do with your day.”

“I’m the one who offered. I do want to come with you.” He insisted.

I smiled, “thank you so much. I didn’t show it but I was worried about going alone.” I stated chuckling.

I always thought Claudia was beautiful but when she got the braces she had removed, suddenly it was like every guy seemed to notice her. The day she got them removed was the same day, she got like four guys asking her to the prom.

Someone even added her for the run to be prom queen, something Emilia seemed to take offense to. She had been spending her time trying to make our lives living hell but we were also fighting back, showing her that high school was over and we weren’t about to deal with this kind of bullshit.

Leon laughed, “everyone is afraid of going to the prom alone, you should see the ladies in our school.”

As days went by I was glad that my mother gave me her car, I had volunteered for the board of the prom committee and I was beginning to think that they were taking advantage of me. I was the one who would stay late in school to hang up the decorations.

I had finished my tutoring lessons with Leon, so I pretty much had nothing better to do.

It was around six in the evening, I had finished up the last of the decorations when Leon called me. I picked up, “this is a surprise.” I commented.

“No it isn’t. I texted you that we were to have dinner at our house. I’m at your door, where are you?” He asked.

“Wait, dinner?” I asked confused, “what dinner?” I asked.

He sighed, “please tell me you’re joking.”

“I haven’t been looking at my phone. I was busy. I’m just leaving school right now.” I replied.

“It’s 6pm why are you still in school?” He asked.

“Because I’m part of the prom committee and we need to make sure everything is ready.” I replied. “Give me fifteen minutes. I will be there.”

“Is there no way you could make it ten? I have never been here this late and this place looks dangerous.” Leon whispered.

I chuckled, “I was raised there and I’m still alive. You’ll be fine.” I replied, I paused for a second, “just to be safe there is a spare key there use it and get into the house.”

Leon sighed, “thank you. Now hurry up and get here.”

I didn’t know what this whole dinner thing was about but I was sure it was to announce something big. I could start to speculate what it was but I was sure I would never know. I just had to go and find out what it was.

I got to the apartment to find Leon chilling on the couch with his feet up on the table. “Make yourself at home, why don’t you?” I said as I closed the door behind me.

“I don’t think you know but this place disgusted me the first time I was here,” Leon started.

I laughed, “trust me, I did know. It was very clear from how you walked around as if the floor was lava and it would swallow you whole.”

“It’s because I had never been to this side of town and I initially thought that I was going to be robbed.” He confessed, “but it has not been such a bad experience hanging out with you here after school.”

I shrugged, “I’ll get changed then we can go.” I said as I walked to my room.

“Hurry up!” Leon yelled, “we were to be there at seven. I texted them we’d be there at eight now.”

“Why wasn’t my mother the one to tell me about this dinner?” I yelled from my room.

“Don’t ask me. I am just here to pick you up.” Leon replied.

I walked out of my room, “let’s go.” I said to him. He looked at me from head to toe.

“You haven’t changed anything. You just put on a different jacket.” He said.

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s just go.” I said as I headed for the door.

I had never been to Leon’s house before and it was a massive house. It was a two floored house with a balcony that one could stand on and view the outside of the house.

“You live in a massive house.” I commented.

“Yeah it’s kind of huge.” Leon replied. I guess he was used to living here that it didn’t seem like anything unique to him.

He rounded his car to in front of the house. I opened the car door, my foot stepping on the concrete, I looked around taking in the silence and calm that was around. It was different to the area I was used to living that was filled with noise all day and night.

We walked to up to the door, “let me get that for you my lady.” Leon said as he pulled open the silky black handle guard, opening the smooth wooden doors.

I smiled as I stepped in. I was taken by the décor of the house. The ash grey walls and the white furniture complimented each other almost perfectly.

“Honey, there you are.” My mother said as appeared from another room. She walked up to hug me, “I know I haven’t really been the greatest mother of late but I promise you that you would see why I did that in just a second.” She said as she led me to the dining room that was already set.

Miles walked in holding a bottle of wine, he saw me and smiled. “Glad you were able to make it.” He said setting the wine down in an ice bucket. “We should have a seat and start eating before the food gets cold.” He stated, “where is Leon?” He asked.

“Here I am.” Leon walked in before I could answer.

I was feeling kind of out of place here. My mother seemed to have already have her place here but I hadn’t. The table was filled with food and there were chairs surrounding the table. Leon pulled a chair for me to seat, I smiled as I took a seat and he took a seat beside me.

The food was served. People ate as they talked and laughed but I would only talk when I was talked to. They seemed like a happy family making me wonder if my mother had been replacing me all along.

Dessert was served and that’s when my mother looked at Miles. “I think we should tell them.” She said.

“Tell us what?” Leon asked.

“I asked Arabella to marry me and…” Miles started then looked at my mother.

“I said yes!” She shrieked as she showed me the ring.

She seemed happy but unfortunately I didn’t share the same happiness.

I stood up, “where is the bathroom?” I asked.

Everyone looked at me confused.

Then Leon pointed to it as he muttered the directions but I just walked off. I just needed a second to take all this in. I had been seeing less and less of my mother, which made me think that’s why I was spending so much time in school. I didn’t have her to come home to and the house felt almost empty. Yet here she was getting married to someone else as I didn’t even exist.

I walked into the bathroom and locked it in. I took a deep breath, splashed some water onto my face and I just stared at myself in the mirror.

There was a knock on the door, “sweetie, are you okay?” My mother asked.

I let out a sigh as I opened the door. “I’m fine.” I replied blankly.

She sighed, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the engagement. I wanted to surprise you.”

I laughed softly, “you surprised me alright.”

“Are you mad that I got engaged?” She asked.

“I’m mad that from the moment you met Mr. Langley you have been acting like I don’t exist!” I snapped, “you have been leaving me alone in the apartment. Before today I hadn’t seen you in two days and you just expected me to be happy that you are making this big change in your life?” I asked my voice cracking and tears brimming from my eyes.

“Honey, I didn’t think that…”

“Yes, you didn’t think about me. You just thought about yourself.” I stated as I walked away from her and out to the door.

“Dulce! Dulce! Come back!” I heard Leon yell but I just began sprinting away. I needed some time for myself to think. I went to the train station, I used to find it relaxing to be in the train and I was hoping it would help me gather my thoughts.